Five Possible Blog Post Templates to Follow
Before you read any further, hear this: templates can kill your blog! What I mean is, if you find a simple formula to follow and never infuse personality and variety into your posts, your blog is going to stagnate. It can be, however, helpful to have a few frameworks to keep in mind to both simplify things as well as to remind you of some of the essential elements of an effective post. Here are five possible templates to have in your arsenal.
The Narrative Template
- Title
- Opening Thought
- Multiple Paragraphs of a Single, Flowing Thought
The Well-Structured Template
- Title
- Proposition / Thesis
- Introduction / Hook
- Transitional Statement
- Major Points with Elaborations
- Conclusion and Wrap-up
- Call to Action
The Seth Godin Template
- Title
- Deeply Profound Insight in one to three hundred words.
Seth's Genius
The Money-Making Template
- Title
- Advertisement
- Halfway Relevant but Keyword-Stuffed Opening
- Advertisement
- A List With Affiliate Links
- Pitch a Product
- Another Advertisement
- A Plug for Your Email Newsletter
- Advertisement
- Another Halfway-Relevant Paragraph
- Call to Action
- Call to More Action
- A pop-up When the Reader Tries to Leave
Oh come on folks, lighten up…
The Copyblogger Template
- Title
- Deeply Profound Insight in one to three thousand words.
Simple enough? What’s your template?
In addition to serving as Editor of Fuel Your Blogging, Brandon is also a Pastor at Saddleback Church and Online Community Coordinator for Pastors.com. He’s also a web designer, blogger, and church communications consultant. Catch him on his own blog or on Twitter.
LOL I think you missed the last advertisement placement nice work
Thanks… I try.
I think templates can be used well to stimulate creativity when you just aren’t in the flow for writing. These are interesting, and I’ll add them to my aresenal. Thanks.
Glad to help, Darlene.
Lol at the “make money” template. I actually really enjoy reading the Seth Godin template.
It’s good that you included the phrase “deeply profound insight”. Not just, “thoughts” or something plain.
I recently began to follow Godin’s style, and I think it’s awesome. Nice and informative post, (partly funny, too). :)
Seth is a genius at making a few words highly impactful.
LOL, you forgot disabling the back button (so they can’t leave).
Oh yeah, and sometimes even a popUNDER.
Awesome idea for a post, Brandon. I’m still finding it hard to follow any sort of format – my brain just goes walkabouts. I might give these a try. :)
My brain and your brain have that little problem in common.
You left out my own template:
Wordy and confusing headline.
Vague introductory bit.
A few random affiliate links here and there.
Conclusion that has nothing to do with the headline or the vague introductory bit.
Pleading, almost desperate, sentence at the end to pluck at the sympathy of readers to actually leave a comment.
Works every time.
Thanks for the highly useful addition. :)
I think I use the narrative and well-structured templates. I’m new at blogging but I love to write and be able to express a thought in a couple of words. I like to give ideas and offer some information as well. I am trying to create a variety of templates and ways of writing so that it doesnt all become predictable.
Thanks!